Category: Marker

First Quarter Moon

First Quarter Moon
First Quarter Moon

Object Name: First Quarter Moon
Object Type: abstract interpretive sketch of prominent lunar features
Location: Oberlin, Ohio
Date: August-September 2013
Media: Sharpie, ball-point pen, and colored pencil on white paper

As this is the latest addition to my series of abstract astronomy-themed drawings (see more here: http://preshuss1.deviantart.com/gallery/45423007), I used a bit of artistic license in interpreting the lunar features that are shown. Still, I did my best to reference the moon’s actual geography.

The Sea of Rains is the central focus. Framing the craters Archimedes, Aristillus, Autolycus, and Cassini, this ancient volcanic plain is edged from south to north by the Appenine and Caucasus mountains, and capped by the “Alpine Valley.” The northern Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold) bleeds around the crater Aristotle and into the lakes of Death and Dreams, finally bringing the eye to rest on a Sea of Serenity at lower right. Yes…it’s easy to get carried away by such tantalizing names! Exploring the lunar surface can feel like wandering through a poem…

When Perfection Appears Imperfect

Stargate Asterism
Stargate Asterism

Hello – I was recommended to your site by Patrick Wiggens of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society. I am a fine artist recently infatuated with the night sky and have spent the summer observing and making paintings from those observations.

Please let me know if this type of drawing does not apply to the intention of the site.

Object Name Stargate / Corvus / Virgo / Spica
Object Type Star Formation
Location Stanisbury Park Observatory Complex, Tuille, Ut
Date 7/02/2013
Media Marker, oil based pen, paperboard

Equipment used: 40cm Ealing Classical Cassegrain

Bill Williams of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society helped me to discover Stargate as part of my training on the observatory’s 40cm Cassegrain. It has been a favorite ever since. I find it paradoxical that the precise geometric formation appears to be a flaw in the chaotic organization of the universe at this level. Perfection appears imperfect.
Best Regards,
Kristy Mitchell

Near Petavius

Crater near Petavius
Crater near Petavius

Title: a moon crater
My name: Silvia Fabi
Object name: /
Object type: crater
Location: Ferrara
Date: 13/04/2013
Media: 2B pencil and black marker in white paper
Seeing: III
Description: this is a very small crater near Petavius. I searched the name on an app of my phone and on a book but I didn’t find nothing. Anyway I think it is a intresting crater to sketch.
Hope you like it!
Silvia

Sunrise on Posidonius

Posidonius and Chacornac Craters
Posidonius and Chacornac Craters

Hi,

Here is a submission of one of my sketches.
Object Name – Posidonius and Chacornac
Object Type – Lunar Crater
Location – Parmentier Observatory Observing Field
Date – 5/8/2011 3:18 UTC
Media – Graphite pencil, blending stump, black sharpie marker, white paper

Equipment – 10” Discovery PDHQ at 234X

This crater was very nicely positioned along the terminator when I made this sketch. The main crater is Posidonius and the one just above (South) is Chacornac. The shadows and illumination formed an interesting connection between the two craters. It was very interesting to compare the details that I sketched to those of the very nice pastel sketch submitted by Frank McCabe on May 9th.

Brian Chopp

Christmas in Monoceros

Though it’s not the time of the Holidays, I managed to sketch down this nice open cluster just before Christmas.
40x magnification showed the full cluster in my 80/400 refractor, which made me happy.

I hope you enjoyed it, too!

Object Name (NGC 2264 OC Mon)
Object Type (Open Cluster)
Location (Tiszaújváros, Hungary)
Date (10th December, 2010)
Media (graphite pencil, finalized using felt tip pen)